Always a mess
by Swedish Shourt-Snout
Summary: Why does Harry Potter's hair always look exactly the same? And why are his features so different from James Potter's? Severus Snape needs to know. Oneshot. Snape is Harrys father, from Snape's POW. Please review!


Severus Snape didn't know what to think about Harry Potter. The boy was everything he had expected and at the same time nothing at all. He had been sorted into Gryffindor just like his parents. He had the looks - those beautiful green eyes, and the not so beautiful untidy dark hair and glasses. He had also made a fool of himself in his first potions class by not having read the texts in advance, showing himself to be similar to his obnoxious, lazy, father.

But then there were the discrepancies. Some of his looks were a bit off. No one else seemed to notice, but Severus was painfully observant, from being a spy for so long. The hair was messy and ruffled, but it looked exactly the same every day. Even if it looked like he had just walked straight from bed, it was most likely styled to look like a mess. Severus couldn't understand why anyone would do that. And it was darker than James Potter's hair ever was. And the nose was neither Lily's nor James'. Or perhaps the boy had simply broken it at some point and not had it set properly, since there was a very small lump where the nose curved slightly. And there was something odd about the glasses, Severus thought that the prescription must be inadequate since the boy sometimes peeked over the edge of them to read from the blackboard.

Then there was the character of the boy. Harry Potter was guarded, silent and observant. He had nothing of Lily's friendly personality or James' overly social behavior. This would not in itself be strange since the boy had not grown up with his parents. The weird thing was how Harry Potter pretended to have an extroverted personality. And there was something almost desperate in the boys behavior, like he was trying to keep a secret which was slipping away.

And lastly, it was how Harry Potter behaved when Severus was around. It was some strange mixture between curiosity, panic, hesitation, disbelief and grief. All covered up of course by a truly Slytherin controlled facial expression. Severus couldn't make sense of it.

* * *

Severus had plenty of regrets in his life, but Lily Evans was a major part in all of them. Looking at Harry Potter from across the Great Hall at dinner, he couldn't stop himself from wondering what could have been if he had made different choices. What if he had been nicer to her at school, if he had asked for her forgiveness more sincerely, if he had not chosen to join Voldemort. Would she have chosen him over James Potter? Married him? He knew at least that their had been some attraction. One night, it must have been more than two years before she died, they had been together. It was much too intense, they were both drunk, and she regretted it immediately. Severus couldn't bring himself to feel the same. But if things had been different, if she had chosen him, would they have married? Perhaps, he thought. Would they have children? Possibly. His eyes went back to Harry Potter. What would a child look like between him and Lily? The green eyes of course, Severus almost let out a sigh. The hair would probably not be red, since red was a recessive trait, so perhaps more like Severus dark, almost black hair. And not as messy as the Potter trademark. And no glasses he thought, neither himself nor Lily had ever needed glasses. Perhaps a child of his would have gotten some of his less flattering characteristics as well, such as the pale skin or the hooked nose. A bit like Harry Potter really.

Severus felt as if he had forgotten something really important. His heart was beating way too fast and his head started spinning. He stared at Harry Potter. When was the boys birthday? Had he ever heard someone tell him that? Something about Hagrid bringing his Hogwarts letter on his 11th birthday, must have been late July? When was that night he spent with Lily? More than two years before she died, but less than three. It must have been less than a year before Harry Potter was born. It was shortly after Halloween he remembered. He counted 9 months forward. The fork he was holding slipped from his grasp and fell to the table, as his heart pounded even harder.

* * *

Severus had to know. When the boy made some rather innocent mistakes in potions class he was awarded with a truly undeserved detention. His classmates looked upset about the unfairness but kept quiet, Harry himself seemed oblivious and accepted it without question. That same night after dinner there was a soft knock on the door to his classroom in the dungeons. Severus got up and opened the door. Harry Potters black hair was precisely as tangled as it had been every day since school started. Severus indicated a chair in the middle of the classroom and sat himself across from it. He stared at the boy not sure how to start this conversation.

\- Mr. Potter, I have some questions for you.  
\- Ok, sir.

They were both silent and looked equally nervous, Harry was unconsciously fidgeting with his hair. Severus observed that it was actually an attempt at messing it up rather than taming it.

\- Can I look at your glasses?

The eleven year old looked like it too a few seconds to comprehend what his professor had asked.

\- My glasses, sir?  
\- Yes, your glasses. It seems as if your prescription might be outdated.

After a few seconds the boy handed over the glasses, looking a bit nervous. Severus checked the glasses, noticing the brand on the inside from a large department store.

\- These are not prescription glasses at all, Mr. Potter. They are reading glasses. Why do you have reading glasses?  
\- I don't know what you mean. These are my only glasses.  
\- But they only help with objects at a close range. You should have no problem reading the text at the blackboard from here without them. In fact, you would have a hard time doing it with them.

The young boys face flushed a little and his eyes started travelling to the floor. Severus tried a different approach.

\- Perhaps we should ask your head of house to organize a trip to an optician for you to get prescription glasses.  
\- No, these work just fine.  
\- Mr. Potter, would you say that you need glasses?  
\- Sure, I always had glasses.  
\- But would you say that you need them? Can you see more clearly when you have them on?  
\- I don't know, sir, I just like having glasses.

This was as honest an answer Severus thought he might hope for and he left the subject, but placed the glasses away from the boys reach for now.

\- For your detention today, I would like you to make a potion that is called the Inheritance potion. I prepared most of it for you, all you need to do is heat it up and add a few drops of your own blood.  
\- What does the Inheritance potion do, sir?  
\- It is used to determine paternity. When two blood samples are combined the potion will turn golden if it is a match for paternity and red if it is not.

The boys' eyes snapped up to meet Severus'. There it was again - curiosity, panic, grief - back to neutral. It took the boy less than ten minutes to heat the potion in a cauldron and prickle his finger with a needle. His hands trembled slightly as he let the blood drops fall into the dark potion.

\- I will do the same, so that you can see how the potion works.

Severus let his blood drip into the cauldron and they both stared at the surface. It took merely a second before the entire content turned golden, almost luminescent. Severus sat down again, fearing that his shaking legs would not bear his weight.

\- I think we need to talk Mr. Potter.

This time the boys' look was less guarded, something like hope and relief in his eyes.

\- Are you… I mean… what does that mean, sir?  
\- It means that I am biologically your father. Is it fair to say this is not a complete surprise to you?  
\- Well, I didn't know for sure if it was you, but I suspected that I might not be related to James Potter. And with you there is some...resemblance I guess? I have been trying to make myself look a bit more like people thought I should. I found a picture of my dad once… or I mean… a picture of James Potter.  
\- You can still call him your dad if you want to. In every meaningful sense of the world he was.  
\- But if you are my biological father, what does that mean, sir? Does it change anything?

The black haired boy looked at Severus with pleading eyes, but the older man didn't know how to reassure him.

\- Well, it doesn't have to change anything at all. If you prefer it, this knowledge never leaves this room.

That was obviously the wrong thing to say, since those green eyes stared at him with something like betrayal. Severus tried again.

\- Are you happy with your family, Mr Potter? You live with your aunt and uncle, I understand? I have met Petunia, but it was many years ago.  
\- Did you like her?

Severus considered the blunt question seriously for a while.

\- I know she and your mother had very little contact. She was bothered by the concept of magic when I last met her. At a younger age it intrigued her, but later it disturbed and angered her. I never knew her well, but from the little I did know, I am afraid to say I was never fond of her.

The green eyes softened a little at this statement. There was also something like sadness in his face.

\- They call me… freak. I think it's because they don't like magic.

Severus didn't know what to say to that. Everything he had thought about Harry Potter was shattered to pieces in the last few days. He was not like his father. He was not even his father's son. And now it turned out that he was not the pampered prince he had expected either.

\- I am sorry to hear that, Mr. Potter. I need to make some inquiries. If you come back here Saturday morning I should be able to tell you more.

The young boy looked reluctant at being dismissed, but nodded, grabbed his glasses, and left the dungeons swiftly. Severus just sat there for a long time, staring at the cauldron still simmering at the desk nearby. When he finally got up to take it away, he could see that the colour of the potion was still shining like gold.

* * *

Severus had an early breakfast in the Great Hall on Saturday morning. During the last few days he had made contacts with the ministry to find about his legal opportunities. There was no doubt he would get custody of the boy if he applied. The wizarding world was obsessed with blood - a paternity test at the ministry would sort it out in a matter of minutes. The fact that he already worked as the boys teacher would sort out any questions about him being unsuitable as a caretaker. Why the boy would ever want it was beyond Severus' comprehension, but he knew he would have to make the offer. For Lilys' sake if nothing else.

Back in the dungeons Severus had not waited for five minutes before there was a knock on the door, not quite so soft this time. He let the boy in and indicated a chair.

\- Good morning, Mr. Potter  
\- Good morning, Professor.

The boy was jumpy and obviously nervous. Severus imagined that he had finally realized that a snarky potions professor was not exactly a suitable father figure.

\- I have made some inquiries and would like to make you an offer. I want you to know that you have every right to say no to this offer. I will not hold it against you at all. I will never bring up the subject of this paternity test against your will.  
\- Ok, so you have an offer, and I can say no?  
\- Exactly.  
\- So what is the offer? Sir?

Those green eyes looked impatiently up at Severus.

\- Well, Mr. Potter. We could go to the ministry and take a similar paternity test. I could then apply for custody of you which I would expect to be granted immediately. I would then be your father in the legal sense of the word, as I already am in the biological. Your surname would be automatically changed to mine. I would take over responsibility for your upbringing and monitor your school results as well as your behaviour in general. This would also mean that you would not need to return to your aunt's home for the summer holidays. You would mostly stay here at Hogwarts since I reside here for the better part of the summer. I am afraid the castle is rather empty during the holidays with not much to do for a child. During summer, you would have to live in a spare room in my quarters and follow the rules I set, you would have chores and I would expect you to study daily.

The boy had wide eyes, which Severus assumed meant he understood how not enticing this offer was. Severus had made sure to not sugar coat it but make it realistic.

\- Are you offering to apply for custody? You're offering to be my father?  
\- Yes, Mr. Potter. That is my offer. Now, I fully understand your reasons for declining this offer.  
\- I accept. Yes.  
\- What?

Severus was lost, what did the boy mean?

\- I accept your offer, and would like for you to apply for custody.  
\- Did you understand what I just explained?  
\- New surname, monitoring school results and behaviour, no Dursleys, empty castle over the summer, living in your quarters, rules, chores and daily studying. Did I miss anything?  
\- Mr. Potter. Do you understand that the change of your name would mean that everyone in this school would know?

The young boy looked like he was thinking this through. He was silent for a minute or so before he answered.

\- Then I guess I can stop messing up my hair.

* * *

Later that week Severus lead a ridiculously happy Harry Snape from Hogsmeade where they had apparated back from the ministry. His hair was tidy and there were no glasses covering those green eyes. Their visit had taken slightly longer than Severus had expected since the administrator had called in her boss, not daring to give away custody of the boy-who-lived herself. The boss in question soon realized that the claim was valid and filed the necessary papers without further delay. As they walked inside the great hall, where dinner was already served, Harry turned to Severus with a broad smile.

\- Thank you so much, Professor Snape. Thank you.  
\- You're welcome Harry. Always.


End file.
